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LIBERIA'S FUTURE LIES
WITH ITS CHILDREN, BUT MANY LOST THEIR CHILDHOOD, their self-respect and their
chance of an education during the country's bitter seven-year civil war. Many
children, separated from their families, learned during the war that the only
way to get food and shelter was to join the soldiers. After some basic military
training, children as young as seven were sent to fight at the front. As one
child explained: "At first I
was afraid to go to the front, but I got used to it. I was threatened and
forced to fight, although I became used to putting on the act, appearing like a
hero." Thousands of children faced similar experiences. Many were forced into Small Boy Units and became addicted to drugs to ward oft fear. Such things have left the children with a terrible legacy that gives them little peace now as they try to adjust to life after war. After the war, for some former child soldiers, the chance to find their families and return to them provoked mixed reactions. Many didn't want to go home because they had been away so long - often five years or more - and valued the independence they had gained. Others were afraid they might stray into 'enemy territory' and be targeted by fighters from other warring factions. Compared to all this, a football match between boys from two Save the Children-run transit centres may sound trivial, but for the former child soldiers, it was something very special - the coming together, for the first time, of boys from different fighting factions. Because of their shared experiences as fighters, the boys felt it easier to relate to other ex-fighters because they shared a common past: they had more in common with them than with their families. The football match was an environment in which the boys could respect each other as equals, not enemies. Surprisingly - given their experiences of war -boys from both camps hugged each another with huge smiles on their faces. There was no animosity, no reproach, just a genuine and mutual show of warmth and respect. One of the boys asked:"Is there any adult present, any parent, any carer, any social worker or mere observer who can find it in their hearts to forgive us for what we have done? If any adult can forgive us then please raise your hands."After a sea of hands went up, he replied: "Forgiveness is our future" Save the Children works closely with local communities in Liberia to reunite families separated by the turmoil of war. We work to help improve the quality and availability of health services and access to food. And we help vulnerable children overcome trauma caused by the horrors of conflict. Liberians - especially the young - are tired of war, its violence and its chaos. They want to rebuild their lives and we're supporting them to do that. |
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